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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · rash · deal · pass · shower · band · date · key

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. shower — to wash
  5. band — a music group
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. key — for a lock
  9. deal — to handle
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. key — in music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. key — the most important part
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. band — a ring
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com